Kinetographic camera.



No. 629,063. Patented luly I8, |899. H. CASLER.

KINETUGBAPHIC CAMERA.

(Appcation filed Fab. 26, 1896. j (No Mudel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ign?) W/TNESSES.' /NVENTH mi: nomas PETERS co. pHoro-mu. wAsHmc-YQN, n. c.

No. 629,063. Patented .luly |8 |899. H. CASLER.

KINETDGRAPHIC CAMERA.

(Appcntion filed Feb. 26, 1896.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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PATENT iiiiriiiAN eiisLnn, or oiiNiis'ro'rA, Nniv Yoan, AssieNon To 'run AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE COMPANY,

or NEW Yoan, N. Y.

KINETOGRAPHIG CMER.,

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,063, Idated July 18, 1899.

Serial No. 580,811. No model.)

To all who/rt t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN CAsLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canastota, in the county of Madison and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Consecutive-View Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled io 'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates generally to consecutive-view apparatus and to strip or iilm feeding mechanism therefor, and particularly to photographie cameras employed for taking a rapid succession of views of objects in motion, from which the movements of said objects in ay be reproduced to the eye by means of a suitable apparatus; and my invention is particularly intended for the taking of pictures to be used in the instrument for reproducing the movements of objects from a sueccssion of views thereof for which Letters Patent No. 549,309 were issued to me on November' 5, 1895, or to be used in the other instru ment for reproducing the movements of objects upon a screen for which I filed an application for Letters Patent of even date herewith, Serial No. 580,810.

Cameras heretofore devised for the taking of rapid successions of views of moving objects have been defective in that they have been incapable of taking pictures as large as is desirable or of giving sufficiently long eX- posure to each picture to enable photographs to be taken under ordinary conditions of illumination. In these cameras photographs are taken in a long flexible sensitive film, successive portions of which are moved into the 'field of a lexis and held stationary While a shutter is opened to permit light passing through the lens to act upon the film. In order that the ordinary movements of objects may be satisfactorily reproduced7 it is necessary that tlie series of views from which these movements are reproduced shall have been taken at about the rate of forty a second. While the shutter is open and the light is acting upon the film the portion of the film exposed to the light must. be stationary, so that it is necessary to feed the film intermittently. if in order to produce the desired intermittent feeding of the film the movement of the entire iilm carrying and feeding mechanism be checked foreach exposure, the vibration set up in the camera by the sudden stoppage of the rapidly-moving parts of the mechanism prevents a distinct picture from being obtained or makes it necessary that the shutter shall be opened each time for so brief 6o a time that adequate exposure of the lm is not obtained. lf the spools from which 'the unexposed film is unWound and upon which the exposed film is Wound are permitted to revolve continuously, while other mechanism, which feeds and guides the film across the field of the lens, is caused to move intermittently, stopping each time before the shutter is opened and commencing` to move again after the shutter is closed, although by this 7o means the Weight of the intermittently moving parts is greatly reduced, it is still found that the sudden starting and stopping of these parts of the mechanism cause troublesome vibrations, Which reduce greatly the time dur- 7 5 ing which the shutter may be opened, and also that the intermittently-moving film-feeding mechanism is incapable of moving with sufficient rapidity and of feeding the film sufficiently rapidly to bring more than a very 8o short length of fresh film into the field of the lens Without setting up excessive vibration. These difficulties I have overcome in the camera herein described by causing all of the parts of the film-feeding mechanism to revolve continuously and uniformly, a catch being used to hold the film stationary While the shutteris open and the film-feedingrolls `bein g permitted to slip lover the film While the iilm is held by the'eatch. This catch is ex- 9o tremely light and easily moved, and its operation causes no vibration. All of the parts of the mechanism which carry or feed the film revolve continuously and uniformly, and therefore their operation causes no jar or vibration of the camera.

The above constitutes a most important feature and advantage of my camera and is its most characteristic feature. Other ad- ICO across the field of tlielens, iii the novei means employed for rendering the feeding of the film uniform, in the novel means employed for marking the film to permit exact registry of prints made therefrom, in the novel means employed for reeling up the film after exposure and preventing the accumulation of unreeled film in the camera, and in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of the apparatus.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a camera for taking a rapid succes sion of views of moving objects which shall be capable of taking larger views and of giving longer exposures than the devices for similar purposes heretofore used; second, to provide afilin or strip feeding mechanism capable of the intermittent feeding of longer lengths of film than has been practicable with the film-feeding mechanisms heretofore used and which shall be free from jar and vibration in its operation; third, to provide a film or strip feeding mechanism which shall not require previous perforation or other special preparation of the film and which shall not be liable to failure in operation owing to the slipping of the film; fourth, to provide a film or strip feeding mechanism which shall not wear, tear, or otherwise injure the film, fifth, to provide means for marking the film atthe time and place of each exposure and to facilitate the bringing into registry of prints made from the film when the different views are to be mounted separately; sixth, to provide means foi reeling up the film which shallprevent accumulation of loose film within the camera, and, seventh, to make the camera simple in construction, compact, portable, and easy of opeiation. These objects are attained in the camera herein described and illustrated in the drawings which accompany and forni a part of this application, in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the camera, the side of the inclosing` case having been removed. Fig. is a plan viewof the camera,

the top of the inclosing case having been re moved; and Fig. 3 is a front view of the camera, the front of the inelosing ease having been removed and a portion of the shutterdisl; having been broken away.

In the drawings, 1 is the inclosing case of the camera.

2 is the lens, attached to the front of the case 1, and is a vertical frame-plate secured at the bottom to the bottom of the case 1, which supports the film carrying and feeding mechanism.

i is the drivingshaft ofthe camera. lt is mounted in bearings in the case l, and one end projects outside of the ease and carries a pulley 5, by which it may bc driven from a motor or other source of powei'.

t5isaspoolcarryingthe strip ofsensitive film upon which the photographs are to be taken. lt is mounted to revolve upon a spindle 7, prejecting from the frame-plate 3, and a spool from which the film has been unwouiid may be removed and a leaded spool placed on the spindle by removing the cotter-pin 8.

9 is a spool upon which the exposed film is wound. it is mounted upon a shaft 10, which is revolubly mounted in a bearing within a boss 1l of the frame-plate 3 and is driven from the driving-shaft i by bevel-gears 12 and 13. The spool f) and shaft 10 are rotatably coniiected by a friction device hereinafter described.

14 is the main film-feeding drum. lt is secured to a shaft 15, having a bearing in a boss 1G ofthe frame-plate and is driven from the shaft et by a worm-wheel 17 and worm 1S. Two small idle rolls 1f) and 2O are mounted upon spindles 21 and 22 with their surfaces in contact with or in close proximity to the surface of the drinn lf. These rollers are loose upon their spindles and are driven only by friction with the drum 1i or the film-strip interposed between the rollers and the drum. They serve to hold the film in contact with the surface of the drum. They are prefen ably composed of or have their surfaces covered with seme yielding and elastic substance, so that possible injury to the film may be avoided.

215 is a plate secured to and projecting at right angles tothe frame-plate 3 and located in the focal plane of the lens, which forms a support for the film during exposure and while the film is being punched, as hereinafter described.

2f and 25 are auxiliary film-feeding rolls, the function of which is to remove the exposed section of film and bring a fresh portion of the film into the field of the lens after each exposure. They are geared to revolve together at the same rate of speed, and roller 2f is mounted upon a shaft 2G, having its bearing in the frameplate 3 and driven by bevelgears from the driving-shaft i. These rolls feed the film forward intermittently, the film being held and prevented from feeding across the plate 23 during about one-half of the revolution of the shutter-disk by the catch hereinaftermentioned, during which tinietlie rolls slip idly over the film. Since they act only intermittently and must during the time of their action feed forward as much film as has been fed forward by the drinn 1t and roller 19 during a complete revolution of the shutter-disk, they are arrangedrto revolve at twice or more than twice the peripheral speed of the disk 1i.

27 is a flat spring secured at one end te the frame-plate 3, the other end being arranged to press the film-strip against the top of the backing -plate 23. This spring f'orins the catch by which the film is held stationary in the field of the lens during exposure. Its free end is upturned and is provided with a slot in which works a pin 29, secured to a revolubly-monnted rock-shaft 130, having bearings iii the frame-plate fi.

The rock-shaft IOO IIO

projects through the frameplate and upon the rear side thereof carries an arm 31, which is directly over the shaft 4. Upon the shaft 4 is an eccentric 32, and the eccentricstrap 33 is connected to the arm 31 by an eccentricrod 34, having a hinged connection with the eccentric-strap and a universal-joint connection with the arm 31. W'hen the shaft 4 revolves, the rock-shaft 30 is caused to vibrate. The amplitude of this vibration is sufficient to cause the pin 29 to engage with the outer edge of the slot 28 each time and lift the spring 27 clear of the film and hold it so during the time the shutter of the camera is closed.

35 is the shut.ter-disk, by which the admission of light to the film iscontrolled. It is a thin disk mounted upon and secured to the driving-shaft 4 and situated just in rear of the lens. A portion of its periphery is eut away, so to leavethe lens uncovered during a portion of the revolution of the disk,y

and thus to permit the passage of light to the film. When the different views or prints made from the negative strip produced by this camera are to be mounted separately, as in the exhibition device shown and described in my above-mentioned patent, No. 549,309, it is necessary that some means shall be used for marking the position of each view ou the strip or film accurately, so that the views of the prints made from the strip may be registered accurately when subsequently mounted separately. The marking of the film for this purpose I effect by punching two holes in the film each time a new length of lin is fed forward. Upon the rock-shaft 30, upon either side of the pin 29, is mounted an arm 36, carrying a punch 37, which is arranged to punch a hole through the film each time the shaft 30 vibrates. The plate is perforated to permit the punchin gs to escape. The holes thus punched are punched each time at vthe instant when the exposure is made and are always in precisely the same position with respect to the center of the view. In printing from the negative strip made in the camera after the pictures thereon have been developed a sensitized strip upon which the posi tives are to be printed is first run through the camera or through a similar punching mechanism, so as to have the holes punched at the same distance as are the holes in the negative strip. IVhen the positive and negative strips are placed in the printing-frame for printing, the registration-holes are kept in registry while printing is going ou by means of dowels or similar devices.

In preparing the camera for operation a strip of film .is first placed in position by opening the side of the ease i, which exposes to view the mechanism, placing a spool of film on the spindle 7, and carrying the end of the film between the drum vi4 and roller if), over the plate 23 and under the catch 27, between the auxiliary Afeed-rolls 24 and 25, between the drum 14 and roller 20, and to the winding-spool 9, to which it is secured. The side of the ease l is then closed, a loop being left between rollers 24 and 25 and rollers 14 and 20, and the camera is in readiness for operation.

In the drawings the parts of the mechanism are shown in the position occupied when the shutter is open and the exposure halt' completed. The spring or stop 27 is holding the film stationary against the top of the backing-plate 23. The drum 14 is rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l, drawing film from the spool 6, which collects in a loop between the drum and the plate 23, since the film is not being fed forwardv across the plate 23. A loop of exposed film, which has previously been formed, as will be seen hereinafter, between the auxiliary feed-rolls 24 and 25 and the drum 14, is being taken up through the feeding forward of the film by the ydrum 14 and roller 20, and the film thus fed forward is wound upon the rotating spool 9. As the'shaft4rotates the edge of the sh utter-disk 35 cuts off light from the lens. At the instant light is cut off the pin 29, moving upward, lifts the spring 27, thus releasing the film. The auxiliary feed-rolls 24 and 25 during the time that the shutter is open simply slip over the film, but are unable to feed it forward, because it is held by the spring 27, but when this spring has released the film the These rolls move at twice the peripheral speed of the drum 14, as above stated. Therefore during the time the light is cut off they feed as much film across the plate 23 as has been fed into the loop between the drum i4 and plate 23 during a complete revolution of the shutter. The loop of film between the drum 14 and plate 23 is taken up, therefore, during the time that the shutter is closed, the extra film in this loop corresponding to the length of film required for a new exposure. At the same time another and correspondingloop is formed between the auxiliary feed-rolls 24 and 25 and the drum i4, since the film is fed onward much faster by the rolls 24 and 25 than it is taken up by the drum I4 and roll 20. Further rotation of the shaft 4 causes the shutter to open. J ust before the shutter opens the spring 27,which has been descending with the pin 29, touches the film and holds it stationary against the plate The auxiliary feed-rolls, being no longer able to move the film, slip over its surface. As soon as the shutter opens exposure begins and continues so long as the shutter is open-that is, during about half the revolution of the shuttendisk. The rock-shaft 30 still continues to move after the spring 27 has reached the film on the plate 23, and by its further movement causes the punches 37 to punch holes through the film, as above explained. These punches are withdrawn by the backward movement of the rock-shaft 30 before the pin 2f) li tts the spring 27 and releases the film.

It will be noted that all of the'parts of the `rolls 24 and 25 instantly feed it forward.

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mechanism except the spring 27 and the roel;- shaft 30 and parts connected therewith have a continuous uniform rotary motion, and therefore no jar or vibration results from their motion. The spring 27 and the rock-shaft 30 and the parts connected therewith are so small and light,liave such small amplitudes of movement, and are so firmly supported that no pjar results from their movement.

The drum li and roller i9 are placed as close as possible to the plate 23, as are the auxiliary feed-rolls 2i and 25, so that the length of film set in motion by the rolls 24E and 25 may be as small as possible. This is done so that the film may sta-rt to feed across the plate 23 promptly when released by the spring 27 and also to avoid the danger of tearing of the film, which results when a considerable length of film is started into motion suddenly.

In practice in order to avoid any danger of the gradual accumulation of film in the loop between the drum li and the plate 23, due to possible slipping of the film between the auxiliary feed-rolls 2i and 25, l gear these rolls to revolve somewhat faster than would be theoretically requiredthat is,in the machine shown in the drawings to revolve with somewhat more than twice the peripheral speed of the drum li-so that each time that the film is fed forward by the rolls 2i and 25 the loop between the plate 23 and the drum l-i is entirely taken up. ln order to provide for the gradual increase in diameter of the spool 9, upon which the exposed film is wound, which tends to cause the spool to take up the film more and more rapidly, the spool is not directly connected to its shaft lO, but is mounted loosely upon it, while the legs of a tripodshaped spring-washer 3S, itself so secured to the shaft l0 as to be caused to revolve therewith, press against the spool i) and cause it to revolve by frictional contact. Then the film between the spool 9 and the drinn li is tight, however, the spool will slip somewhat with respect to the shaft l0 and washer 38. All of the feeding-rolls revolve continuously and uniformly, and therefore when the film is to be fed across the field of the lens it is never necessary to overcome the inertia of any of the parts of the apparatus, only the inertia of a very short section of the film requiring to be overcome. It is therefore possible to feed a considerable length of film across the plate 23 in a brief time allotted for that purpose. As shown in the drawings, the shutterdisl; is arranged to admit light during nearly one-half of its revolution. if desired, the shutter may be arranged to be open a much greater portion of the revolution than onehalf, all that is required being the cutting away of a greater portion of the periphery of the shutter, a proportionate increase in the peripheral speed of the auxiliary feed-rolls 2i and Q5 with respect to the speed of the drum 14:, and an adjustment of the amplitude of movement and of position of the pin 2f),

so that the spring 27 may be released and lifted at the proper time; and because of the lightness of the parts and of the fact that all of the parts which have directly to de with the feeding of the film move continuously, as does the great body of the film, a much higher speed of the rolls 2i and 25 is well within the limits of the machine. In this manner the time allowed for each exposure may be considerably increased.

lt will be noted that the greater portion of the werk of feeding the film--viz., the drawing of the film from the roll G-is done by the drum liand that the rolls 2i and 25 are required to feed only a very short and looselyheld length of film, so that their hold on the Yfilm is very light and no injury results to the film because of the slipping of these rolls upon it.

llaving thus completely described my invention, what l cla-im,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a'supply-spool carrying a strip, a winding-spool upon which the strip may be wound, a main feeding-dru m arranged to deliver the strip from said supply-spool and to carry it to the winding-spool,and means for holding the strip in contact with the surface of said drum, of eontinuously-moving auxiliary feed-rolls having a higher peripheral velocity than said drum, acting upon the strip by frictional contact, and arranged to feed the strip across the field of the apparatus, an intermittentlyoperating catch arranged to grasp the strip intermittently and thereby to prevent the feeding of the strip across the field of the apparatus, thereby causing the auxiliary feed-rolls to slip thereon, a shutter arranged to cut off light froln the strip while the same is moving in the field of the apparatus, and means for synchronously operating the shutter and catch, substantially as dcscribed.

2. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a lens, and film-feedingdevices arranged to feed a strip of sensitive film across the field of said lens intermittently, of ashutter arranged to cut off light from the film while the same is moving in the field of the lens, means for synchronously operating the shutter and film-feeding mechanism, and a marking device, arranged to marl; the position of each view upon the film, and operated each time the film-feeding mechanism operates, substantially as described.

3. in a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a lens, and continuouslymoving film-feedingdevices arranged to feed a strip of sensitive film across the field of the lens7 of an intermittently-operating catch arranged to grasp the film intermittently, thereby momentarily preventing the feeding of the film across the field of the lens, a shutter arranged to eut off light from the film while the same is moving in the field of the lens, means for synchronously operating the shutter and IIO cateh,and a marking device, arranged to mark the position of each view upon the film, and operated each time the catch operates to holdv the film, substantially as described.

4. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a lens, and continuouslymoving hlm-feeding devices arranged to feed a strip of sensitive film across the field of said lens,of an intermittently-operatin g catch arranged to grasp the film intermittently, thereby momentarily preventing the feeding of the film across the field of the lens, a shutter arranged to cut off light from the film while the same is moving in the field of the lens, means for synchronously operating the shutter and catch, and a punch operated synchronously with the shutter and catch, and arranged to mark the position of each view on the iilm, substantially as described.

5. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a shutter arranged to interrupt the passage of light, and a continuously-moving driving-shaft arranged to operate said shutter, of a strip-feeding mechanism arranged to feed a flexible strip through the field of the apparatus, and comprising a main driving-drum, for delivering'and carrying olf the strip, driven from said shaft, means for holding the strip in contact with said drum on the delivery and take-off sides thereof, auxiliary feed-rolls driven from said d riving-shaft and at a higher peripheral speed than said main driving-drum, and arranged to feed thestrip across the field of the apparatus by frictional contact,and a catch arranged to grasp the strip and to prevent it from being fed across said field, and operated by said driving-shaft intermittently and synchro` main driving-drum, for delivering and carr fing off the strip, driven from said drivingshaft, means for holding the strip in contact with said drum on the delivery Aand take-off sides thereof, a winding-spool frictionally driven from said driving-shaft and tending to revolve at a higher peripheral velocity than said main driving-drum, continuously-moving auxiliary feed-rolls likewise driven from said driving-shaft and at a higher peripheral speed than said main driving-drum, and arranged to feed the strip across the field of the `apparatus by frietional contact, and a catch arranged to grasp the strip and to prevent it from being fed across said field, and operated by said d rivin g-shaft intermittently and synehronously with the shutter.

7. In a consecutive-view apparatus, the combination, with a lens, a shutter arranged to interrupt the passage of light from said lens,and a continuously-moving driving-shaft arranged to operate said shutter, of continuously-moving feed-rolls driven from said driving-shaft for feeding a flexible strip of sensitive film across the field of the lens, and acting upon said strip by frictional contact, a plate for supporting said strip in the field of the lens, a spring arranged to press said strip against said plate and so to prevent the feeding therebof, a rock-shaft carrying an arm engaging said spring arranged to lift the same, means, operated by the driving-shaft for vibrating said rock-shaft synchronously with the operation of the shutter, thereby causing said spring to release the strip when the shutter is closed, and a punch, operated by said rockshaft, and arranged to punch registrationholes in said strip each time the same is held by said spring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN CASLER.

Witnesses:

A. A. ScHnNcK, K. F. Onssinv. 

